A free online course platform comparison that ranks 55 platforms by what they'd cost you: the plan and their cut of each sale, from their own pages.
Put in the price of one sale and how many you sell a month. See what every course, community and checkout platform costs you, its plan and its cut of each sale, cheapest first.
What you sell
Your sales
What each platform costs you
41 platforms side by side. Add the price of one sale and your sales a month to see what each one costs you, or try an example.
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- 9% on Free Forever, then none
- Built in
- Email marketingCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- Upsells
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- –
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- Community
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- 5% on Free, then none
- Built in
- Custom domain
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- 10% + 0,50 USD
- Built in
- Email marketingUpsellsAffiliate program
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- 5% + 0,50 USD
- Built in
- Email marketingAffiliate program
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- 10%
- Built in
- Community
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- 5% on Free Forever, 2% on Plus, none on Pro
- Built in
- Email marketingUpsellsAffiliate program
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- 2.9% on Launch, then none
- Built in
- Affiliate program
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- Community
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- CommunityEmail marketingUpsellsAffiliate programCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- –
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- 2.7% + 0,30 USD
- Built in
- CommunityAffiliate program
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- –
- Cheapest plan
- 9 USD a monthHobby
- Its cut of a sale
- 10% on Hobby, 2.9% + 0,30 USD on Pro
- Built in
- CommunityAffiliate programCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- 15 USD a monthStarter
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- CommunityCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- 16,63 USD a month, billed yearlyLaunch
- Its cut of a sale
- 4.9% on Launch, then none
- Built in
- –
- Cheapest plan
- 21,58 USD a month, billed yearlyEssentials
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- –
- Cheapest plan
- 29 USD a monthStarter
- Its cut of a sale
- 5% on every plan
- Built in
- Affiliate program
- Cheapest plan
- 29 USD a monthStarter
- Its cut of a sale
- 5 USD on Starter, then none
- Built in
- Coaching callsCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- 29 USD a monthCreator
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- Coaching callsEmail marketingUpsellsAffiliate program
- Cheapest plan
- 39 USD a monthLaunch
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- UpsellsAffiliate program
- Cheapest plan
- 39 USD a monthBasic
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- Email marketing
- Cheapest plan
- 39 USD a monthStarter
- Its cut of a sale
- 7.5% on Starter, then none
- Built in
- Coaching callsUpsellsAffiliate programCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- 47 USD a monthStandard
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- CommunityUpsellsAffiliate programCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- 49 USD a monthMover
- Its cut of a sale
- 5% on Mover, then none
- Built in
- CommunityCoaching callsEmail marketingUpsellsAffiliate programCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- 49 USD a monthMonthly or annual
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- Custom domain
- Cheapest plan
- 49 USD a monthStarter
- Its cut of a sale
- 10% on Starter, 5% on Growth and App Essentials
- Built in
- Community
- Cheapest plan
- 54 USD a monthBasic
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- CommunityCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- 57 USD a monthStarter
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- CommunityEmail marketingCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- 59 USD a monthEssentials
- Its cut of a sale
- 5% on Essentials, then none
- Built in
- Email marketingUpsellsAffiliate programCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- 79 USD a monthCore
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- UpsellsAffiliate program
- Cheapest plan
- 89 USD a month, billed yearlyProfessional
- Its cut of a sale
- 2% on Professional, 1% on Business and Scale
- Built in
- CommunityEmail marketingCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- 95 USD a monthLaunch
- Its cut of a sale
- 2% on Launch, 1% on Scale, 0.5% on Growth
- Built in
- Community
- Cheapest plan
- 97 USD a monthLaunch
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- Email marketingUpsellsAffiliate programCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- 97 USD a monthStarter
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- CommunityEmail marketingAffiliate programCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- 99 USD a monthGrowth
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- CommunityEmail marketingAffiliate program
- Cheapest plan
- 179 USD a monthBasic
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- CommunityCoaching callsEmail marketingAffiliate programCustom domain
- Cheapest plan
- Not on sale right now
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- Community
- Cheapest plan
- 499 USD a monthOrganization
- Its cut of a sale
- None
- Built in
- Community
Every plan, trial and fee is read from each platform's own pricing and help pages, on 29 września 2026. Each price is the plan and the platform's own cut. Card fees are apart, since Stripe or PayPal charge them on any platform, 2.9% + $0.30 a sale in the US, and a fee with card processing inside is split the same way. A plan counts only if it has room for a year of your buyers. 55 platforms checked.
This free online course platform comparison shows what 55 course, community and checkout platforms cost you at your price and your sales: the plan and each platform's cut of every sale, for a month and a year.
Put in the price of one sale and how many you sell a month. Every plan and fee comes from the platform's own pages, with the date it was read, never from an affiliate's ranking.
Here's how the costs are worked out, what each platform takes, and when a marketplace like Udemy beats your own platform.
TL;DRKey takeaways
What is an online course platform comparison?
An online course platform comparison puts the platforms you can sell a course on side by side, on price and features.
This one ranks them by what each platform costs you: the plan, plus its cut of each sale, at your numbers.
Who is the online course platform comparison for?
It's for anyone choosing where to sell a course, a community or a digital product:
- Online course idea generator – teachers still choosing what kind of course to make.
- Online course revenue calculator – anyone working out what a course could earn.
- Digital product idea generator – people selling templates, ebooks and other products, not only courses.
- Business idea generator – people deciding between a course, a service and a channel.
How to use the online course platform comparison
The features that matter most
A few features decide more than the rest:
- Community – a place for students to talk, inside the platform, not a separate app.
- Upsells and order bumps – a second offer at checkout lifts what each buyer spends.
- Affiliate program – lets students and partners sell for you, for a commission.
- Email marketing – saves you a separate email tool, and its monthly bill.
- Custom domain – your course on your own web address.
How the costs are worked out
Each platform's cost is two parts: its cheapest plan that fits, and its own cut of each sale.
A plan fits when it has room for a year of your buyers. At 20 sales a month, that's 240 students or contacts, so a free plan for 500 students fits, and a plan for 100 doesn't. Then the next plan up is priced instead.
Each row says what kind of price it is: a free plan you can keep, no monthly fee but a cut of each sale, or a paid plan with its free trial. It also shows the plan's limits, the platform's other plans and any lifetime deal.
Some platforms charge a monthly plan and take nothing from sales. Others are free to start and keep a share of every sale, so they cost more as you sell more. The comparison shows you where that line falls for your numbers.
WordPress plugins are listed apart, since you host the site yourself. A plugin that can't sell a course on its own is priced with the plugins it needs, like FluentCommunity with FluentCart.
Card fees aren't in the price. They're the cost of getting paid, and you pay them on any platform: Stripe and PayPal charge about 2.9% + $0.30 a sale in the US. Where a platform's fee includes card processing, like Whop's, that part counts as card fees too, so every platform's cut is only what it keeps.
What every platform takes
These are the cheapest plans and each platform's cut, from its own pages:
- Cheapest plan
- Not on sale right now
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- WordPress plugin
Amazon KDP- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 30%, cards included
- What it is
- Marketplace
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 9%
- What it is
- Link-in-bio store
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Checkout and WordPress plugin
- Cheapest plan
- $89 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- 2%
- What it is
- Community
- Cheapest plan
- $97 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- All in one
Creative Market- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 50%, cards included
- What it is
- Marketplace
- Cheapest plan
- $499 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Live cohorts and Community
- Cheapest plan
- $29 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- 5%
- What it is
- Link-in-bio store
Envato Market- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 50%, cards included
- What it is
- Marketplace
Etsy- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 9.5% + $0.45, cards included
- What it is
- Marketplace
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Checkout and WordPress plugin
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- WordPress plugin and Community
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 5%
- What it is
- Online store
Framer Marketplace- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Marketplace
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 10% + $0.50
- What it is
- Checkout and Marketplace
- Cheapest plan
- $97 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- All in one
- Cheapest plan
- $179 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- All in one and Course platform
- Cheapest plan
- $59 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- 5%
- What it is
- All in one
Ko-fi- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 5%
- What it is
- Link-in-bio store and Community
- Cheapest plan
- $15 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Course platform and Community
- Cheapest plan
- $21.58 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- WordPress plugin and Course platform
- Cheapest plan
- $29 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- $5
- What it is
- Course platform
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 5% + $0.50, cards included
- What it is
- Checkout
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 10%
- What it is
- Live cohorts and Marketplace
- Cheapest plan
- $16.63 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- 4.9%
- What it is
- WordPress plugin
- Cheapest plan
- $95 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- 2%
- What it is
- Community
- Cheapest plan
- $57 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Course platform and All in one
Notion Marketplace- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 8% + $0.40, cards included
- What it is
- Marketplace
Patreon- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 10%
- What it is
- Community and Marketplace
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 5%
- What it is
- Checkout
- Cheapest plan
- $49 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- 5%
- What it is
- All in one and Course platform
PromptBase- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 20%, cards included
- What it is
- Marketplace
Ravelry- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Marketplace
- Cheapest plan
- $79 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Checkout
Sellfy- Cheapest plan
- $29 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Checkout and Online store
- Cheapest plan
- $39 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Checkout
- Cheapest plan
- $39 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Online store
Skillshare- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Marketplace
- Cheapest plan
- $9 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- 10%, cards included
- What it is
- Community
- Cheapest plan
- $29 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Link-in-bio store
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 2.9%
- What it is
- Checkout and WordPress plugin
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- WordPress plugin and Community
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- All in one
- Cheapest plan
- $39 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- 7.5%
- What it is
- Course platform
Teachers Pay Teachers- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 45%, cards included
- What it is
- Marketplace
- Cheapest plan
- $49 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Course platform
- Cheapest plan
- $54 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Course platform
- Cheapest plan
- $47 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Checkout and Course platform
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- WordPress plugin and Course platform
Udemy- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 63%, cards included
- What it is
- Marketplace
- Cheapest plan
- $49 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- 10%
- What it is
- Course platform and Community
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- 2.7% + $0.30, cards included
- What it is
- Checkout and Community and Marketplace
- Cheapest plan
- Free
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Online store and WordPress plugin
- Cheapest plan
- $99 a month
- Its cut of each sale
- None
- What it is
- Course platform and All in one
Marketplaces or your own platform?
A marketplace like Udemy, Skillshare or Etsy brings its own buyers, and keeps a much bigger share for it. Udemy pays instructors 37% of a sale it finds and 97% of a sale through the instructor's own coupon or link.
Your own platform keeps more of each sale, but you bring every buyer. Many creators do both: a marketplace to be found, their own platform for the people who already follow them.
Traffic Secrets
Traffic Secrets by Russell Brunson teaches how to drive traffic to your business using proven marketing strategies, social media, and paid ads.
I may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
What I use
I've used most of these platforms. I processed millions of dollars through ThriveCart and a few others. Virtual Summit Mastery alone brought in $882,739 in gross sales from 1,483 customers there:
Every platform I used lacked something, so I built my own checkout, Creator Store.
The comparison doesn't lean on what I use: it ranks every platform by what it costs you, from its own pages.
Launch
by Jeff Walker
Launch by Jeff Walker teaches the Product Launch Formula for selling a product online with free prelaunch content before the offer opens.
I may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Online Course Platform Comparison FAQs
Questions about the online course platform comparison? Here's what to know.
An online course platform comparison puts the platforms you can sell a course on side by side, on price and features.
This one ranks them by what you'd pay at your price and sales.
Yes, it's free, with no sign-up.
Every plan and fee is read from each platform's own pricing and help pages, with the date it was read.
No ranking comes from an affiliate list.
It depends on your sales: a free platform that keeps a share of each sale is cheapest at first, and a flat monthly plan with no cut wins as you sell more.
Put in your numbers and the comparison shows which one wins for you.
No, each price is the plan and the platform's own cut.
Card fees are the cost of getting paid, about 2.9% + $0.30 a sale in the US, and you pay them on any platform, so each row shows them apart.
No, a trial ends, so each row prices the plan you'd pay after it and shows the trial's length beside it.
Only a free plan you can keep, like Systeme.io's, is priced at $0.
Yes, a platform with a lifetime deal shows it under its plan, with the price you pay once.
Udemy brings buyers but pays you 37% of a sale it finds, and your own platform keeps almost all of each sale but you bring the buyers.
Your numbers are saved in your browser, so they're there when you come back.
Nothing you enter is sent to navid.me.
I did. I'm Navid Moazzez, and I made the online course platform comparison as one of my free tools on navid.me.
More about me.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
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